I'm not sure that I've mentioned it, but I also stitch (needlepoint). I started about 5 years ago, more or less. I made a significant investment in equipment and tools (frame stands, laying tools, etc.) and canvases and thread. I have a needlepoint stash, for sure. However, needlepoint is seriously time-consuming (a cabled afghan has nothing on a needlepoint canvas) and requires me, at least, to have a large block of time to sit and work. I'm determined to stitch tallis bags for all my boys by the time they have their Bar Mitzvahs, so I started one about a year and a half ago (I have all three canvases). I haven't made much progress, but I figure I can allot 4 years per bag. Then I'll have to turbo through Baby Girl's in a year, but they'll be in school full time by then, right?
So, anyway, about a year or so ago, I got a yen to learn to quilt. Of course, Mom (my partner in crime) was interested too. We'd talk about it periodically, usually while knitting or on the way to a yarn crawl. Then, a month or so ago, we were checking out the sewing classes at Purl Soho because also part of that 'learn to quilt' conversation was learning to sew backings on knitted blankets. I must say, we were put off by the hand cutting (my mother swears she can't do it) and hand sewing, but we thought we could be candidates for the basic sewing class so we could learn some things that would be useful in our knitting finishing. (I haven't used a machine since my 8th grade home ec class). But we thought about asking for a private class because, you know, our schedule is a little crazy, what with the 4 toddlers and all, and I'd need to make some hard-core set-in-stone child-care arrangements to attend a multiple-session class, plus traffic to NYC is unreliable--it could take 35 minutes (Saturday, early morning, summer), 45 minutes (Saturday, early morning, January-June, September, October), 2+ hours (any day, time, season). And we spent an afternoon researching sewing machines on the web (with my dad, as accustomed to our follies as he is, rolling his eyes).
Once we read about the hand-cutting and -sewing, we gave up the quilting idea (besides, do we need another stash?!), but still talk about sewing blanket backing (mostly my mom). But then, this morning, I was reading Knit and Tonic and a quilt hit me smack between the eyes.
Here's the email I sent to my mom:
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Check this out at knit and tonic: http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/2007/09/ill-blame-it-on.html
and it only took her 4 hours! We could do 4 hours! Together, it would probably take two hours!
We need that sewing class and a machine, I think.
Let me know.
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I think I'm in trouble.
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3 comments:
my least favorite parts of sewing are the cutting, pinning, and pressing.
but with out pinning and pressing nothing would look good so it's a necessary evil. i began to like ironing/pressing when i'd schedule it when back to back episodes of 90210 is on soap network! it hink you two could do it. you may enjoy doing some easier quilting with out so much cutting and pieceing. i know my sister who did a lot of quilting liked doing large panel quilts where they was very little piece work. you two are unstoppable.
i hope you feel better!
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence! I told my mother about your comment, but each time I mention cutting, she says, "I can't do it!" We'll see...I'm also being seduced by Joelle Hoverson's new book.
NOOOOOOOOO! As the other partner in these kinds of crimes, I am BEGGING you not to take up this "art". I CANNOT afford it when you suck me in to this. Please. For the love of God.
But if I have Have have to help you, I REFUSE to press anything.
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